Post-Exposure Prophylaxis in Health Care Workers (PEP)

Health Care Workers that have occupational exposure to blood are at risk for HIV infection. Prevention of blood exposure, through safer practices, barrier precautions, safer needle devices, and other innovations, is the best way to prevent infection with HIV and other bloodborne pathogens.

Though these strategies have been successful in reducing the frequency of blood exposure and needlestick injuries in the past decade, the hazard has not been eliminated. As of December 2001, the CDC had received voluntary reports of 57 documented cases of HIV seroconversion temporally associated with occupational exposure to HIV among U.S. health care personnel. An additional 138 infections among health care personnel were considered possible cases of occupational transmission. Because there is no cure or effective vaccine for HIV, optimal post exposure care, including the administration of antiretroviral drugs to prevent HIV infection, remains a high priority in protecting health care workers.